Product Description

History's greatest secret could be tomorrow's greatest threat.

More historically and biblically accurate than The DaVinci Code and just as adventurous as an Indiana Jones movie, The Sacred Cipher combines action and mystery to draw readers into a world of ancient secrets and international escapades. When an ancient scroll appears in a secret room of the Bowery Mission in New York City, Tom Bohannon is both stunned and intrigued. The enigma of the scroll's contents will send Bohannon and his team ricocheting around the world, drawing the heat of both Jewish and Muslim militaries, and bringing the Middle East to the brink of nuclear war in this heart-pounding adventure of historical proportions. The Sacred Cipher is a riveting, fact-based tale of mystery and suspense.

Love when from the first pages of a book you are so drawn in you can barely put it down. The plotline and writing were superb. It is fast paced with no dead spots in the writing. The fact of how realistic it feels with the tensions between Israel, Arab nations and even the USA puts a factual element to it. I'm glad I didn't know too much about the plot which made it all the more enjoyable at ever page. Already into the second book of the trilogy the Brotherhood Conspiracy which is just as fascinating with the Aleppo Code waiting on my self. Terry Brennan is a superb storyteller.

I believe what has always drawn me to the Indiana Jones movies is the possibility of the discovery of an ancient biblical artifact being discovered that might hold untold powers in the right or wrong hands. For those of us that study the Bible, we know that many religious artifacts still remain hidden even continually searched for to this day. That is just the reason for my fascination about novels that deals with that type of genre. A bit action adventure, mystery, and of course, suspense. For those that love such types like National Treasure, The DaVince Code or the Indiana Jones series, you might just want to check out Terry Brenna who has written a series of books called the Jerusalem Prophecies Series.

The first novel in the series, The Sacred Cipher takes readers into the heart of a discovery of an ancient scroll that has been found in the late 1800's by Charles Spurgeon. In the metal case contains a scroll consisting of a series of unknown characters on it and from all appearances is very old. The only issue Charles has with it is knowing what it says and even how to go about reading it. He only knows he must mail it to a professor in London who might be able to help. As he is attempting to do this, he notices a group of men want to stop him from taking the scroll from Egypt and will stop at nothing to ensure they get it back. Nothing.

As the scroll's mysteries deepen Tom Bohannon discovers an old map room hidden in an old church during the present day. Calling in support for what he discovers with scientists and historians he trusts, he unlocks a safe believed to contain a priceless collection of old religious books. Among them he finds a metal case containing a scroll along with a letter warning whoever has it that is must be uncoded and protected whatever the cost and that danger surrounds those in whose possession it remains. It will take an entire team of men to use all the resources available to them to unlock the mystery of the scroll and what they discover could quite possibly mean the end of the world if what is reveals is true. Now all they can do is true to find out if is true or just some kind of random treasure hunt, but if that is the case why are there so many people out there killing others just to stop them?

I received The Sacred Cipher by Terry Brennan compliments of Kregel Publications for my honest review. I did not receive any monetary compensation aside from a free copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review. At first the book was hard to get into with so many characters being introduced and understanding the difficulties in dealing with ancient languages and cryptology, but the more further into the story you get, the more involved you become in wanting to know if such a thing is there and if it is possible. By the end, you will do anything to get your hands on the sequel, The Brotherhood Conspiracy. For me, this one was a 4.5 out of 5 stars and now I can't wait to read the next one. Knowing Bible prophecy, things just got a whole lot more interesting.

This book is an intriguing page turner. From the very beginning to the last word, the author held me riveted to the story, eagerly anticipating what would happen next. An international thriller, the novel leads the reader through plot twists and turns, around unexpected corners, and deep into Biblical history.

Terry Brennan has defined believable characters and launched them on a seemingly impossible quest, riddled with danger and brimming with adventure. He captures the challenge of the mission as he ushers his characters through a cacophony of doubt, fear, disaster, and hope.

The pacing was just right, enough to keep the reader guessing what was coming next, yet detail and imagery never slowed the action. There is nothing preachy about this Christian novel, but it is so well researched and presented that even those who normally dont read Christian fiction would probably enjoy it.

Great news is that there is a sequel, The Brotherhood Conspiracy, which is on my TBR list.

I would recommend The Sacred Cipher to any reader who enjoys a fast-paced mystery thriller that is exceptionally well-written.

Terry Brennan in his new book The Sacred Cipher Book One in The Sacred Cipher series published by Kregel Publications gives us another thriller with Tom Bohannon. Historys Greatest Secret Could Be Tomorrows Greatest Threat

From the back cover: A secret room has been discovered in the chapel of the Bowery Mission. And whats hidden inside could change the world as we know it.

When New Yorker Tom Bohannon uncovers an ancient cipher containing a dead language that has been lost in the sands of time, he doesnt fully comprehend the danger thats about to unfold. Though Tom and his team of ragtag scientists and historians want to decode the ancient text, there are others who dont want the cipher revealed. And they are prepared to kill to keep it hidden.

From a market in 19th century Alexandria to an apartment in present-day New York to the tunnels beneath Jerusalem, the secret of the cipher has spanned the globeand threatened the lives of everyone in its path. Will Tom be next?

Prophecy, intrigue, and terrorism saturate The Sacred Cipher. The Cipher has been found again and a small group of men are working at trying to decipher it. However there is a group that is devoted to making sure that this never happens and sets about to eliminate them. Tom, Doc, Joe and Sammy are not ex-CIA or Navy SEALS or anything like that, they are simply middle-aged men who have discovered something significant and want to know what it is. The Cipher takes them to Jerusalem and they work their way under The Temple Mount to find the answer. There, in addition to the original group that wants them dead, are the terrorists that want them dead and the Israelis that want them stopped because they think our group are terrorists. And the action hasnt even begun. The Sacred Cipher is almost a non-stop action thriller. Mr. Brennan has put in so many twists and turns in his story that it would make a roller coaster envious. Tom, Doc, Joe and Sammy are wonderful characters that we care about, want to see escape the danger that they find themselves in and want them to succeed. Terry Brennan has given us a unique thriller that will keep you on the edge of your chair as you read and flip pages as fast as possible. I recommend this book highly and hope there is a next book in the series!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Kregel Publications. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commissions 16 CFR, Part 255: Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

Tom Bohannon is the director of the Bowery Mission in New York City. While remodeling, a room is discovered to be hidden behind the old pipe organ. In this room, what appears to be an ancient scroll is discovered. Tom takes his discovery to his brother-in-law, Joe, who works at the New York Library. Joe in turn consults a co-worker, Sam, to see if he can decipher the writing on the scroll. They discover the writing is in an ancient, dead language and their only hope of translating it lies with Dr. Richard Johnson, a mortal enemy Tom made while Tom was in his old profession of investigative news reporter. Tom humbles himself and contacts Dr. Johnson. The two put their differences aside to solve the mystery. Soon, one of Richard's former students becomes involved as well.

Their extensive research and fact-finding leads them to a fantastic treasure if the scroll is genuine. They feel that it is, especially after two members of the group have their lives attempted to be ended. The message leads them to Jerusalem, specifically the Temple Mount. Tom, a devout Christian, feels like God has called him to this mission. The other members for one reason or another are equally dedicated to see the mission through to the end. Are they really going to try to explore under the Temple Mount? How are they going to accomplish this impossible task? Will they really find what they're looking for? The team travels to Jerusalem and soon discovers there are many enemies who will try to keep them from their mission at any cost, even their very lives.

The story starts off a little slow for the first half of the book with too much back and forth before getting to Jerusalem, causing the story to drag. I appreciated the history lessons and found them interesting, but there was a little too much and it bogged down the flow of the story. Once in Jerusalem though the action takes off and I couldn't put the book down. I just loved seeing Tom come to the end of himself and put his faith in God that He would provide. He lives out his faith for Richard and Joe to see. Richard is a nonbeliever and Joe is a "lapsed catholic". Tom's integrity and strength to do what God called him to do is admirable. What do they discover? Well, you'll have to read the story to find out if their discovery is explosive bomb with end time implications or merely a sparkle that fizzles out.